Officials Want Hastings House Recognized As National Historic Landmark

The Hastings House in Smithfield is one of the most historic landmarks in Johnston County , yet it is not designed by the NC Department of Cultural Resources as a historic site. Town officials hope that will soon change. The Smithfield Historic Preservation Commission has submitted an application seeking to have the house, now located on Front Street , included in the National Register of Historic Places. This week, the Smithfield Town Council adopted their own ordinance declaring the property as having historic value. The building is currently being used by the Parks & Recreation Department but will be vacant later this year when rec workers move to a location on Buffalo Road . In March 1865, the Hastings House served as Confederate Headquarters of General Braxton Bragg and Joseph E. Johnston. It is also the oldest surviving Greek Revival home in Smithfield . The house was built in 1854 for William Hastings, his first wife Lucy Anne McCullers, and their daughters, Julia and Sarah. It was originally located at Second and Johnston Streets, but in 1941, in order to make room for Overby Funeral Home, the house was moved to Front Street . Except for the kitchen and dining rooms, which were removed in order to relocate the building, the Hastings House is still in its' original shape. Currently, no money is set aside for restoration or renovation work for the Hastings House, which was bought by the Town of Smithfield in 1965.